Victims Of Fate
by diamondpearl876
Summary: .collection of xxxholic drabbles. 9: Doumeki will find Watanuki, no matter what. doumekixwatanuki.
1. Rapacity

Written for 30heartbeats. Prompt: Change. I own nothing.

_[ watanuki, nameless woman x 315 words x rated pg ]_

_[ spoilers for volume 1, blood ] _

Rapacity

She was popular, prone to getting caught in situations that called for lies and deceit. Watanuki was not, and so he was honest whenever he could be, to hang on to the little things fate brought him.

She was joyful, content with everything she possessed, and knowing that nothing would ever come crumbling down. Watanuki was not, but he had fought the darkness and still managed a genuine smile to appear on his face often.

She was oblivious to nearly everything about herself, and so she hadn't been able to notice that bad habit of hers. Watanuki was not, but he sometimes wished he was, just to chase the truth away, over and over again.

If Watanuki could, he would switch places with her, just for one day. He'd want just one day--not to lie like that woman, but so he could reveal his painful secrets and memories to everyone, because they would listen, and they would believe every single word of it.

He would tell of the spirits he could see and how he's terrified of sleeping at night for fear he'll never wake up because of them, and no one would walk away, muttering to themselves that he's just insane and they never want to be seen around him again. He would tell everyone how his parents had passed away when he was young, and how he wished he knew them and could still be living with them today, and no one would say he was just out for attention and never speak to him again. He wouldn't feel like such an outsider anymore.

Even when he heard the blaring horn from the truck and the screams of those around him, saw her immobile body disappear right before his eyes, and saw the blood spilling at his feet, he still couldn't help but wish he could have the same opportunities she did.


	2. Third Eye

Written for 30heartbeats. Prompt: Silence. I own nothing.

_[ watanukixdoumeki x 185 words x rated pg ]_

_[ character spoilers ] _

Third Eye

Doumeki saw a lot of things through Watanuki's golden eye.

Doumeki saw spirits when Watanuki was quite intimidated by their unwanted sight, and when he was unnerved that he may just not survive because he couldn't get rid of them on his own. He saw Yuuko's grinning face when Watanuki was infuriated by how underappreciated he was at the shop, and when he was being loaded with too much work, which he always finished without a problem, anyway. He saw photographs of Watanuki as a boy with two faceless people standing next to him when the other young man was depressed about not remembering anything about his own parents.

Every time Doumeki pointed out anything he saw, Watanuki would start fuming because of how his privacy was invaded.

What Doumeki never mentioned was how he saw himself through that golden eye of Watanuki's. He saw himself during those constant moments where Watanuki was eternally grateful for having a savior, and during those rare moments that Watanuki was cheerful and content.

It would all just result in endless denial, he knew, and so he kept quiet.


	3. Preparations

Written for 30heartbeats. Prompt: Foreign. I own nothing.

_[ watanuki, nameless boy x 361 words x rated pg ]_

_[ character spoilers ] _

Preparations

Watanuki's first friend had said that the first day of April was an important day for him, too.

Watanuki had thought he meant it was April Fool's Day. Maybe, he thought, it was his friend's favorite day of the year, because he could pull tricks on others and make himself laugh and give others a reason to smile at the jokes and pranks. So, Watanuki had made sure to prepare himself for the first day of April, thinking that, even if it was his own birthday, his friend wouldn't spare him and let him get away easily.

On that first day of April, Watanuki wasn't scared of the spirits that constantly insisted on following him, because he could simply throw salt at them and he'd be safe once again, thanks to his new friend. Instead, he walked cautiously everywhere he went, looking for any kind of trap his friend might have set for him when he wasn't paying attention. He listened closely to the words of others, just in case they were noticing something he didn't, and he listened closely for people who were trying to hold back laughter, because they might've known something cruel yet humorous was about to happen to him.

When he reached the cherry trees, he was still prepared for April Fool's Day. There was no doubt in his mind about that, and so, he refused to let his guard down.

But he wasn't prepared to learn that his friend was associated with the supernatural, especially when that was what he had been running away from all his life.

He wasn't prepared to hold a piece of his friend's bone in his hand, as it felt as cold and broken as his own heart.

He wasn't prepared to eat alone that day, because he had become familiar with meals consisting of conversation and joy and discoveries.

He wasn't prepared for his friend's departure, because having companions was completely foreign to him, and he didn't know they could leave so effortlessly, so quickly.

He wasn't prepared to say goodbye forever, say they would be friends forever, when he wasn't sure if doing either one was possible at all.


	4. Cognomen

Written for 30heartbeats. Prompt: Interval. I own nothing.

_[ watanuki, yuuko x 356 words x rated pg ]_

_[ character spoilers ] _

Cognomen

Yuuko has come to notice that, every day, Watanuki complains about his name and the way others use it.

Yuuko realizes that he despises how he's only called by his name in the shop when someone needs another drink that will only cause sickness in the end, or when a mess has been made, or when someone simply needs entertainment to pass the time.

Watanuki expresses to her that he doesn't like how Himawari doesn't nearly say his name enough at all, and he feels his heart melt on those rare occasions where his name has the honor of escaping her precious, invaluable lips.

It's also clear to anyone who's heard Watanuki yell that he hates how Doumeki refuses to say his name unless in dangerous situations where he doesn't quite think about what he's saying, and he hates how Doumeki insists on getting his attention with one emotionless and irritating word.

And, finally, Watanuki deems it silly that his birthday is included in his name. He'll explain how he doesn't even look forward to his one and only day for himself anymore, because it's never about him. It's only ever about a boy whose name and face has passed on from his world. And he tells her how embarrassing it is, how others will call him a fool just because it's the first of April, and just because he thinks he can see spirits.

Yuuko can only smile whenever Watanuki decides to tell her about the dilemma concerning his name, because she knows the truth. She knows everything he doesn't, and she'll keep it a secret, just for now, because he's not ready to know yet. He's not ready to know that his real name and his fake name should never have existed, should never have been decided twice. He's not ready to know that he's able to create bonds with others and live his own life and decide his own future outside of the clutches of Fei Wang Reed simply because of his name. And when he's finally told everything, she knows that he'll be glad that he even has a name at all.


	5. Communication

Written for 30heartbeats. Prompt: Trouble lurking. I own nothing.

_[ kohane, kohane's mother x 225 words x rated pg ]_

_[ character spoilers, mentions of violence ] _

Communication

"What is it that makes you believe in my powers so much?"

Kohane never receives an answer. At least, she doesn't receive a direct one. Her mother responds with incoherent sentences and screams and the deafening sound of glass breaking, hearts shattering.

"What is it that won't let you say my real name?"

Kohane never hears her name. At least, she doesn't hear her real name. She hears over and over again that she's her mother's girl, her mother's pride and joy, and, when her mother's in a good mood, Kohane is her everything.

"What is it that won't let you touch me?"

Kohane doesn't know what it feels like to feel a human's touch. At least, she doesn't know the touch of a human that's alive. The spirits and lost souls reach out to her for help, which is fine, but she needs something much, much more rewarding.

"Fine. We'll see what you say with those terrified looks of yours when I'm on television, telling the world what I know. We'll see what you say with those fake, encouraging smiles of yours when I'm preparing to appear on television. And we'll see what you say to others when I succeed, when I fail."

It's the only way people like them know how to communicate.


	6. Forget Me Not

Written for 30heartbeats. Prompt: Trouble lurking. I own nothing.

_[ doumeki, watanuki, haruka x 207 words x rated pg ]_

_[ character spoilers, mentions of death ] _

Forget Me Not

Doumeki wonders why his grandfather only visits Watanuki's dreams, and not his.

Doumeki wonders if his grandfather has forgotten him somehow, and so, soon after he learns of the dreams, he makes it a goal to visit the cemetery at least once a week. Whenever he goes, he brings some kind of family heirloom or book or anything that was special to his grandfather, and he'll talk of the times they spent together. Doumeki will say how much he misses him, and he'll make sure to explain to his grandfather that he can recall every single story that he had been told. He'll speak of Watanuki and how his soul keeps the spirits away from the other young man, and tells his grandfather that, without a doubt, the purity was all thanks to him, and no one else.

All the while, he doesn't cry--not on the outside, anyway, because he isn't weak, not anymore, because someone was there to help him throughout that particular part of his life. He hopes his grandfather remembers him after speaking to him, and he asks himself silently if his words mean anything at all and if, maybe, he should now look forward to when he falls asleep at night.


	7. Enchainment

Written for 30heartbeats. Prompt: Prologue. I own nothing.

_[ watanuki x 156 words x rated pg ]_

_[ character spoilers ] _

Enchainment

Watanuki knows he will never be free.

He has been bound by several chains since the very beginning of his story, and it is not going to change by the end of everything at all.

He is bound to the shop. He is bound to Doumeki and Himawari, and no one else in his school. He is bound to all things belonging to the supernatural. He is bound to dreams and his constant thoughts of believing he shouldn't be in this world, or any other world. He is bound to having no memory of his parents and anyone else he knew before he met Yuuko.

He is bound by hitsuzen, something that cannot be changed or fought against.

And so, Watanuki knows it is impossible to break the chains surrounding his body, his life, his existence, and he knows he has to accept that he will never know what freedom is or what it feels like.


	8. The Fortunate

Written for 30heartbeats. Prompt: Written in stone. I own nothing.

_[ watanuki, yuuko x 346 words x rated pg ]_

_[ character spoilers ] _

The Fortunate

"I don't know who you think you are when you complain about things!" Watanuki cries, running from room to room, trying to figure out where to start cleaning for the day. He wonders why it even matters, considering he already knows it'll be like this again tomorrow when he returns. Still, he thinks it'll be worth it in the end--whenever that is, because, with every day he spends with Yuuko, it seems more and more like it'll never come.

"I don't know what you mean, Watanuki," she responds playfully, grinning, though she knows it won't last long at all.

"You are the fortunate one, all of the time! I cook for you, I clean for you, and I do your stupid errands, too! And you complain about something every single time, except for the food, I guess, but then you ask for something more... because it's never enough! That's what I mean! And, geez, why is this here in this shop at all and why--"

Yuuko stops listening to the frustrated and dissatisfied young man, knowing that he doesn't have a clue about anything she has to deal with. She wants to say that she's seen more people than she can count die and go through too many life-changing situations, ones that sent most of them spiraling into disaster. She wants to say that, most of the time, she's hopeless and helpless and is merely a watcher of everything that goes on, and that it's the hardest thing anyone could ever have to do. She wants to say that time could continue one day, and she could die in a matter of seconds, and she doesn't think she'll be prepared, because there's still so much to do.

She wants to say that it's all written in stone, that nothing can be changed and maybe, just maybe, she's sorry for the way she acts toward him.

But she says nothing, watches Watanuki's unknowing self move frantically around the shop and listens to his words that she wishes could be the truth, knowing he could never understand.


	9. In The Storm

Written for 30heartbeats. Prompt: In the storm. I own nothing.

_[ doumekixwatanuki x 268 words x rated pg ]_

In The Storm

Doumeki always expects for Watanuki to get into some kind of trouble, and he always expects that he'll be the one there to get him out of it. It's so easy to exorcise the spirits the haunt him every day, so he allows himself to relax as they examine the hydrangeas.

But Doumeki doesn't anticipate for Watanuki to simply vanish in the middle of a storm without any sign of where he could have gone to.

He thinks of the possibilities after the confusion dissipates a little bit, because he knows he can't just walk away and go home. Perhaps Watanuki had fallen unconscious somewhere, or he had been pulled under by a spirit. Or, maybe, Watanuki had just run off on his own without a warning. It wouldn't have been unlikely, Doumeki knows, but he wants to do what he can, just in case. He can't hope for the idea that the other young man just couldn't stand his presence anymore.

And so, Doumeki decides that he'll stay where he is.

He'll dig past the carefully planted flowers, not caring how sore his hands are and how useless they'll be for archery in the end.

He'll make his way through the mud meant to be undisturbed by anyone but nature, because he would do anything to find Watanuki.

He'll allow the rain to wash over him, not thinking about how sick he'll feel afterward or how many days he'll have to spend resting in bed.

He'll fight through his storm of worry, and he'll fight through Watanuki's storm of disappearance, until the sky is clear once again.


End file.
